The St. Louis Cardinals have announced their plan for evaluating Dustin May following his ankle injury sustained on Thursday. While the pitcher was not placed on the injured list on Friday, the option remains on the table.
Dustin May Injury Update
.@TheDanGuerrero reports an important addendum to Dustin May avoiding the IL with roster moves Friday.
He avoids the IL, for now, Guerrero reports.
There’s a significant test coming Saturday and #stlcards could just reverse their call Friday: https://t.co/I5Ki4xEpRp
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) July 4, 2026
May took a line drive off the ankle in the first inning of the Cardinals’ 11-5 win on Thursday against the Atlanta Braves. May remained in the game, but only faced a few more batters before leaving with two outs in the first. The Cardinals’ bullpen pitches 8.1 innings of shutout baseball to win the series.
Friday Update
On Friday, manager Oliver Marmol said May was feeling better than expected and even had May play a game of catch to test the ankle. The team was deciding on a corresponding roster move after Ryne Stanek returned from paternity leave. Instead of placing May on the injured list, Gordon Graceffo was optioned to the minor leagues.
“I thought he would be a lot more sore,” Marmol said. “What I like is that the arm (and) back felt, he said, like 100% in that start. He just was having trouble finding the zone there early, which, after not pitching for a while, tends to be the case.”
Saturday’s Plan
However, May could still end up on the injured list. May will throw a side session Saturday before their game against the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals will evaluate the results and make a decision. If May does go on the injured list, he will not be eligible to return until after the All-Star Break. Furthermore, the Cardinals would likely call up Graceffo to take May’s roster spot.
The Immediate Future
May’s next turn in the rotation would be on Tuesday when the Cardinals host a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers. Marmol has not announced a starter for either game yet. If May does not make his start, Brycen Mautz or Hunter Dobbins are the likely options to fill in.
May has been bitten by the injury bug lately. His start prior to Thursday was skipped as he was dealing with back tightness sustained during his one-hit shutout in June. May has been a big part of the Cardinals’ success this season. If he has to go on the injured list, the Cardinals will hope it is not a long-term stint and that he can return after the All-Star Break.
Main Photo: Brett Davis- Imagn Images
